SPRINGFIELD - Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office will continue to work for Gov. Rod Blagojevich in the lawsuit over whether it's legal for the governor to move more than 100 state jobs from Springfield to Southern Illinois.

On Monday, representatives of Blagojevich asked Sangamon County Judge Roger Holmes for a new lawyer, saying Madigan has a conflict of interest in the case.

Blagojevich's plan has been in limbo for months as the state needs Madigan's approval before it can pay $812,000 for a former Wal-Mart building in Harrisburg to house more than 100 Department of Transportation workers who now work in Springfield.

Springfield officials sued to prevent the move.

Blagojevich attorney Melissa Riahei argued Madigan shouldn't be allowed to represent the governor because she gets to weigh in on the purchase of the building.

"At the moment, there is a potential conflict of interest," Riahei said.

Holmes ruled Madigan's office would continue representing Blagojevich.

It's unclear to what extent Madigan has the authority to review the transfer beyond the paperwork of purchasing the building.

But one of her attorneys said Monday that the attorney general won't be decide whether sending jobs to Southern Illinois is good policy.

In the meantime, Springfield Attorney Don Craven is holding back on the lawsuit to prevent the jobs transfer until Madigan's review is over. If Madigan rejects the move outright there might not be a need for the lawsuit in the first place.

Madigan spokesman Scott Mulford said he wasn't sure how long her review would take, saying only it would be "thorough and appropriate."

Still, late last week, Madigan's office filed a motion to dismiss Craven's suit. No hearings are scheduled.

mike.riopell@lee.net|789-0865

MORE INFO

View a copy of the motion to dismiss a case challenging the move of the Illinois Department of Transportation offices to Harrisburg at http://herald-review.com/art/IDOT110708.pdf